OLDSMAR, Fla. — A 50-year-old Oldsmar man was charged with first-degree murder after he hit a man with a metal bat multiple times, according to a news release.
Ramon Hernandez was transported to the Pinellas County Jail after admitting to killing 52-year-old Bryan Merriam, the sheriff's office wrote.
Deputies say they responded to calls about a man getting beat with a baseball bat around 2:30 p.m. on Friday at near Timber Bay Circle West.
Reportedly, Merriam was found laying found face on the ground with an "apparent head trauma." He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Through a preliminary investigation, detectives say they have learned Hernandez went to Merriam's residence looking for his girlfriend, who he believed was hiding there.
"Detectives say Hernandez struck Merriam in the back of the head with the bat. After Merriam fell to the ground, Hernandez proceeded to strike Merriam several more times with the bat before fleeing the scene," the news release reads.
About one hour after the incident, Merriam turned himself into deputies at the Pinellas County Justice Center, deputies noted.
Detectives interviewed Hernandez, who admitted to striking Merriam the first time out of self-defense, and multiple times after that out of anger. Hernandez sustained no injuries, deputies say.
